Boukai Closing on Second Bracelet in $1,500 Eight Game as Heads Up Goes Into Extra Day
It was an incredibly eventful day in the Event #23: $1,500 Eight Game Mix, but the climax is yet to come as Rami Boukai and John Evans bagged their chips after 20 hours of mixed-game poker. They are heads up for the bracelet and $177,294, having left 610 players behind them in their wake and will return as the quest for the title concludes in the Amazon Room on Wednesday, June 12th at 2 p.m. local time.
It's currently a lopsided heads-up match with Boukai holding a 3-to-1 chip lead. Moreover, Boukai already has an experience of closing things out at the World Series of Poker. The Saudi Arabia-born California resident emerged victorious in the $2,500 Pot-Limit Hold'em/Omaha bracelet event back in 2009.
Heads-up chip counts:
| Seat | Player | Country | Chip Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rami Boukai | United States | 4,565,000 |
| 2 | John Evans | United States | 1,545,000 |
Evans entered the event with only one cash from a WSOP main series to his name, but he's already managed to outlast some true mixed-game greats. His best chance might also be that there are just over 30 big bets left in play. A couple of home runs could change the script in a matter of minutes.
The extra day looked to be a three-player affair but Chris Klodnicki busted just before the buzzer, adding a third place to his fifth from last week's $1,500 H.O.R.S.E. event.
Philip Long provided a remarkable storyline as he returned to the final table after conquering this very event in 2018. Long held a huge chip lead on the last two tables and remained a strong contender until there were only four players left. However, a streak of losses stopped the back-to-back dreams right there and this time Long had to settle for fourth place.
Another could-have-been was Allen Kessler's push for his maiden gold bracelet. Following 73 WSOP cashes and four runner-up finishes, Kessler had another attempt at bringing it home for the first time in his career. He even took the final table chip lead for a short stint, but cash number 74 was eventually confirmed as a fifth-place finish, mostly due to his stud encounter with Klodnicki in which he ran with two pair into Broadway.
After a lot of ups and downs today, including those on the final table, the $1,500 8-Game is still one elimination away from crowning a new champion. Will Boukai ride home his advantage or can underdog Evans pull off a stunning comeback? The answer will come on Wednesday from 2 p.m. PDT. Make sure to come back to PokerNews for the home stretch as the live updates from the conclusion will be right here.
for an eighty-six. Klodnicki showed the 
as he threw his cards into the muck and was eliminated in third place.
. He was significantly ahead with 
versus 
, but the 
turn gave Evans some hopes for a chop. 
landed on the river to give Evans trips along with the nut low and, just like that, the defending champion was eliminated in fourth.
and Boukai now took the lead with his flopped queen. A 
completed the board.
on the flop and Boukai took a commanding lead. Rubinstein started to stand up as he awaited the runout. A 
fell as the turn card and Rubinstein needed a jack or he would be eliminated. The 
hit the felt on the river, sending the pot to Boukai with his pair of kings and Rubinstein's fate was cemented as a sixth-place finish for $24,292.
/ 
/ 
- folded on fifth
river, covering Shchemelev's remaining stack. Shchemelev called, but his 
runout sent Vitch home in eighth place.
flop made him a huge favorite. Trumbul picked up four outs on the 
turn but the 